84 
Lancaster sound where on several occasions the birds alighted on the rig- 
ging of the ship while the vessel was travelling at full speed. 
It seems probable that the breeding ranges of L, argentatus and L. 
thayeri overlap somewhere between Cumberland sound and Ponds inlet. 
In 1923, herring gulls were sparingly seen at Pangnirtung fiord during 
the two weeks spent there. On September 15 a large flock of between 
sixty and seventy was seen. 
No herring gulls were observed during the summer and autumn of 
1924 in Cumberland sound. They were first seen at Nettilling lake on 
June 12, 1925, and many examples were noted until the close of the month. 
During July, they were absent from the district about Takuirbing river 
at the east end of Nettilling lake, except for a single bird observed on July 9. 
They were next seen on August 20 near Tikerakdjuausirn point, Nettilling 
lake, and thereafter the species was commonly observed along the southern 
lake shore and up the west coast to Koukjuak river. This species almost 
entirely replaces the glaucous gull on the southern and western sides of 
Nettilling lake. A few herring gulls were seen between September 10 and 
12, on Takuirbing and Amittok lakes; those were the last observed for the 
season. Two specimens were collected on Nettilling lake. 
On May 18, 1926, a large number of this species was observed between 
Tikkoat islands and cape Dorset. They were mostly in small companies 
of three or four, but larger groups were seen. It was the common gull of 
the region. Considerable numbers were found, on June 19, 1926, nesting 
on Fox islands, Gordon bay. The eggs were fresh. Many nests held 
but one egg, showing that laying had not been finished. This species 
nests both on cliff ledges and on the level near the sea or about small upland 
ponds. Where the nests are built at ponds they usually are on rocks pro- 
jecting from the water, little islands, or points. The nest is a platform 
consisting of fragments of moss and grass, is a foot high, and has a slightly 
concave top. The nests on the ledges are much lower. The usual number 
of eggs is three. 
On July 17, herring gulls were found nesting at Aitken lakes, north- 
west of cape Dorset. Nearly all the nests were on rocks in shallow parts 
of the lake. This is evidently a protective measure against foxes. Nearly 
all the nests contained downy young from 6 to 8 inches long. Two nests 
were observed still containing eggs. 
Kumlien (1879, p. 67) states that this species is not uncommon in 
Cumberland sound, and breeds to latitude 67 degrees north. Low (1906, 
p. 316) remarks that it is very common everywhere in Hudson bay, but 
less so in the northern waters, where its place appears to be taken by the 
fulmars and skuas. 
Hantzsch (1914, pp. 160-161) records this species (under Larus argen- 
tatus smith sonia?ius Coues) as common around Nettilling lake where it 
was an omnivorous scavenger. He states it was frequently noted at the 
beginning of September, at Koukjuak river, where the first independent 
young specimens were observed in the grey plumages. He also saw this 
gull near Foxe basin as late as September 27, 1910. Skins and eggs of this 
species were collected by the MacMillan expedition in the vicinity of 
Bowdoin harbour west of cape Dorset. Burwash took two specimens 
at cape Dorset in the summer of 1924. Four birds were collected by the 
present writer at Fox islands, Gordon bay. 
